Posted 1:56 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015
As the state enters the next budget cycle with a large deficit, the outcome of the UW System receiving any additional funding isn’t likely, says UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow.
[caption id="attachment_38570" align="alignleft" width="770"]
UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow gives the All-University Address Wednesday, in Graff Main Hall auditorium. [/caption]UW-L and the UW System leaders will be watching closely when Gov. Scott Walker releases the 2015-17 state budget proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
As the state enters the next budget cycle with a large deficit, ranging from $800 million to $2.2 billion, depending on how you slice it, the outcome of the UW System receiving any additional funding isn’t likely, says UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow.
Gow made the remarks during his All-University Address Wednesday. The majority of the hour-long address was spent discussing the budget outlook for UW System.
More likely than an increase, says Gow, is the kind of multi-million dollar cut the system has experienced in recent state budgets. What makes the situation more difficult is the inability of campuses to raise tuition because of a system-wide tuition freeze, says Gow.
Another part of the governor’s spending plan could include granting more autonomy to the UW System, giving it more flexibility in how it operates. However, without authority to increase tuition such a proposal basically gives campuses the authority to decide what to cut, says Gow.
“While we appreciate increased flexibility, if tuition is frozen and state support is cut, we will not have the resources to provide our students with the kind of academic experience they are here to get,” says Gow. “That’s just common sense.”
Borrowing funding for capital projects in years ahead could also pose challenges for the System, says Gow. While certain projects such as the new science labs building phase I and the new student union are well on the way to becoming a reality, other new projects could be in jeopardy. Projects such as a new fieldhouse and another residence hall to help accommodate the 1,100 students who live in overflow housing on campus may not happen. Some legislators have frowned on borrowing money for large projects such as these, says Gow, in part because they wonder how long physical universities will be around.
“Some people wonder if we’ll be here in 50 years,” says Gow. “But I see students and prospective students every day who want to physically be here with the people who teach, advise and coach them. We don’t just pour work skills into their head and send them on their way. Clearly, residential campuses such as ours will be vital to the future.”
Gow says he’s reminded of the powerful impact UW-L makes when he hears from UW-L alumni or former UW-L employees who share their memories of campus or want to give back. He’s reminded when he shares UW-L’s message with prospective students, or when he receives a call informing him for the third time that another UW-L professor is Wisconsin Professor of the Year.
“While the budget poses some uncertainty, there is one thing we can be certain about,” says Gow. “That is the quality of this place where we work and live and interact with one another every day.”
UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow gives the All-University Address Wednesday, in Graff Main Hall auditorium. [/caption]UW-L and the UW System leaders will be watching closely when Gov. Scott Walker releases the 2015-17 state budget proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
As the state enters the next budget cycle with a large deficit, ranging from $800 million to $2.2 billion, depending on how you slice it, the outcome of the UW System receiving any additional funding isn’t likely, says UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow.
Gow made the remarks during his All-University Address Wednesday. The majority of the hour-long address was spent discussing the budget outlook for UW System.
More likely than an increase, says Gow, is the kind of multi-million dollar cut the system has experienced in recent state budgets. What makes the situation more difficult is the inability of campuses to raise tuition because of a system-wide tuition freeze, says Gow.
Another part of the governor’s spending plan could include granting more autonomy to the UW System, giving it more flexibility in how it operates. However, without authority to increase tuition such a proposal basically gives campuses the authority to decide what to cut, says Gow.
“While we appreciate increased flexibility, if tuition is frozen and state support is cut, we will not have the resources to provide our students with the kind of academic experience they are here to get,” says Gow. “That’s just common sense.”
Borrowing funding for capital projects in years ahead could also pose challenges for the System, says Gow. While certain projects such as the new science labs building phase I and the new student union are well on the way to becoming a reality, other new projects could be in jeopardy. Projects such as a new fieldhouse and another residence hall to help accommodate the 1,100 students who live in overflow housing on campus may not happen. Some legislators have frowned on borrowing money for large projects such as these, says Gow, in part because they wonder how long physical universities will be around.
“Some people wonder if we’ll be here in 50 years,” says Gow. “But I see students and prospective students every day who want to physically be here with the people who teach, advise and coach them. We don’t just pour work skills into their head and send them on their way. Clearly, residential campuses such as ours will be vital to the future.”
Gow says he’s reminded of the powerful impact UW-L makes when he hears from UW-L alumni or former UW-L employees who share their memories of campus or want to give back. He’s reminded when he shares UW-L’s message with prospective students, or when he receives a call informing him for the third time that another UW-L professor is Wisconsin Professor of the Year.
“While the budget poses some uncertainty, there is one thing we can be certain about,” says Gow. “That is the quality of this place where we work and live and interact with one another every day.”